DETROIT — Few members of the Sharks organization have more ties to Joe Louis Arena than coach Pete DeBoer.

He played here more than 25 years ago, began his coaching career here more than 20 years ago and his parents still live across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. He also saw one of his first concerts here, Bon Jovi in 1986.

So it was understandable that he felt some nostalgia Saturday morning.

The Detroit Red Wings will be moving out the building at the end of the season, so unless the Sharks and Wings meet in the Stanley Cup Final, Saturday will be the final time they play each other at The Joe.

As a player, DeBoer won an Ontario Hockey League championship in 1988 as a member of the Windsor Spitfires. Paul Maurice, the Winnipeg Jets’ head coach, was his teammate and Jim Rutherford was the general manager of the team. Rutherford is the GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

DeBoer spent three seasons in Detroit as a coach, first as an assistant under Maurice for the Junior Red Wings. When Maurice was named head coach of the Rutherford-run Hartford Whalers, DeBoer became the Detroit Whalers from 1995-1997 before the team moved to Plymouth, Mich.

It was the Red Wings’ greatest period of time at Joe Louis Arena, as they won the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998 and remain the last team to win it all in back-to-back years.

“What I remember then was just a real special couple years playing out here,” DeBoer said. “Was coaching with Paul Maurice. Scotty Bowman was coaching the Red Wings and they were in their hey day.

“We would get to practice right after they practiced in the morning. Being around that group and those people, (Steve) Yzerman and all the Russian players they had at the time. The coaches. A lot of great memories. It’s a sad day. It’s a great building, but time moves on.”

Maurice has coached 1,287 games in the NHL and Rutherford also won the Cup as the general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

“Paul’s almost 20 years in the NHL as a head coach, which is incredible,” DeBoer said. “Jimmy has won now two Cups in two places. Just feel very fortunate and a little nostalgic.”

Curtis Pashelka is the San Jose Sharks reporter for the Bay Area News Group. Prior to covering the Sharks, Curtis served as the high school sports editor for the East Bay. He also worked as a general assignment reporter covering motorsports, golf and college basketball, and as a backup writer on the A's, Giants and Warriors. He started at the organization in 2000 and spent close to eight years covering high school sports.